Improvement in hoop-skirts



UNITED STATES `E. L. MORRIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKI RTS.

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,169, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. MoRR1s,'of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Hoop-Skirts; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

Hoop skirts as usually constructed .are sometimes provided with a cloth cover or band stitched to and so as to cover the hoops, this cover or band having to be torn away from the hoops by breaking the stitches whenever it becomes desirable to Wash it.

The object of this invention is to provide the hoop-skirt, at its bottom, with a cloth band for containing the lower hoops, this band being not only so applied to the tapes or hoops above it as to detachable from them, but having pockets for so containing the lower hoops that they may be freely slid into and from the band and eyelet-holes, through which the overlapped ends of the band may be conned or laced together, the ends of the lower hoopwires having studs or projections, against .which the cords or tapes used in securing the opposite ends of the band` together abut in such manner as to prevent slipping of the hoops when the band is iny place.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that the band may be easily removed from the skirt and its hoops slipped out from their pockets, leaving the cloth in condition to be washed, the ease of dismemberment and of reattachment of the parts enabling the band to be kept at all times in neat condition, very much to the improvement of this class of hoop-skirts as articles of wearing-apparel; and it is in this construction or arrangement oi' parts that the invention consists.

A in the drawings represents a skirt embodying the invention. B is a view of the detached band with its hoops.

a denotes the waistband, from which depend tapes b, having the hoop c applied thereto in the ordinary manner. Instead, however, of extending the tapes the usual length and applying the lower hoops inthe ordinary manner, the tapes are made short and the band d hung thereto by cords or fastenings e, as seen at A. This band has pockets f for receiving the lower hoops or hoop-wires, g, the Wires sliding loosely into and from the pockets. The opposite ends of the band overlap, as seen at A, and are confined together by tapes, cords, or other fastenings, It, passed through eyeletholes i, the opposite ends of each wire g having a projection or projections, k, as seen at C, against which the cords or tapes h' tie, so that when the ends of the band are fastened together the wires are confined in position or kept from slipping, as will be readily understood;

By simply untying tapes e and h and slippingwires g from pockets f the. band d is brought into condition to be washed, no ripping or breaking of stitches being necessary in the detachment and no sewing in the application of the band.

I am aware that a band of cloth has been doubled over the lower hoop of a skirt, and, being wide enough forthe purpose, has been extended up the skirt on both sides of the hoops, so as to embrace several of them, the edges of this band being tied or sewed together over the third or sixth hoop from the bottom, or the intermediate hoops. But this band, not having its parts united by the formation of pockets therein for the hoops, hung oi from them in an ungraceful baggy manner, and, being otherwise unattached to the hoops,con stantly worked out of place thereon, and the lower or protected hoops formed integral parts of the hoop-skirt not detachable therefrom.

I claim- In combination with a hoop-skirt, and so as to form part of the same, a cloth band so applied to the hoop c as to be detachable therefrom, the band being provided with pockets, 'and with hoops or wires sliding loosely therein, and the ends of the band being made to lace or fasten together, all substantially as described.

EDWARD L. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, F. GoULD. 

